BOTS newspaper

Started in 2010, Beat of the Street (BOTS) is a street newspaper serving the Greater Hartford region and beyond.

The newspaper was created by a small group of people who have experienced homelessness and their allies, and provides a forum where those who have experienced homelessness can have their voices heard. Additionally it provides valuable information to those living in shelters or on the streets, and educates the public at large on issues around homelessness. Currently, over 5,000 copies of Beat of the Street are distributed monthly through over 125 distribution sites and mailed to 88 paying subscribers. Individuals whose articles, poetry and photographs are selected by BOTS members for publication in the newspaper are paid for their contributions. Individuals from shelters and supportive housing deliver the papers to distribution sites throughout Hartford and are paid to do so.

Out of Beat of the Street other initiatives developed, with the goal of making real and lasting changes in the lives of those experiencing homelessness.